New Zealand is deploying 'rugby diplomacy' in the southern Pacific with plans to use the sport to unlock development in the region and ward off growing Chinese influence. Wellington is seeking to establish a joint team from Fiji, Samoa and Tonga that would join the Super Rugby club competition, which is contested by 15 teams from southern hemisphere nations and Japan. The involvement of a new Pacific islands team - called Pacific Force - is being seen as a potential catalyst for development in the region at a time when China is seeking to gain a foothold through massive investment. "Part of the plan is that rugby can be a diplomatic force to counter China's influence in the Pacific," said New Zealand media outlet Newshub, who first reported the plan. "The idea is that rugby will help keep hearts and minds away from China, which is saturating the region with money to obtain influence." New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters earlier this year expressed "strategic anxiety" over the Pacific. Beijing is being seen as using its economic muscle to gain influence in South Pacific countries. Australia's Lowy Institute estimates China provided US$1.78 billion in aid, including concessional loans, to Pacific nations between 2006-16. Samoa's lock and captain Chris Vui is tackled during the autumn international rugby union test match between Scotland and Samoa at Murrayfield stadium Credit: AFP China has built a presidential palace and government buildings in East Timor and invested heavily in Vanuatu, a tiny island 1,200 miles north-east from Brisbane where reports last month suggested Beijing was eyeing a military base. A New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade spokeswoman said officials had commissioned an NZ$80,000 (£41,000) report into a Pacific Island Super Rugby franchise. The spokeswoman said: "The establishment of a regional fully professional rugby team in the Pacific Islands has the potential to deliver economic and social benefits to individual players, their families and communities, Pacific Island national rugby unions and teams, and to Pacific Island economies." Fiji, Samoa and Tonga are long-established rugby nations, but players often opt to play for foreign teams at an early stage in their careers. A strong home-based team would help keep star players within the islands, and boost the development of the sport and wider investment. Super Rugby officials are currently exploring plans to restructure the competition from 2021 to 2030. There is speculation that South African teams might opt to join European rugby sides in alternative competitions.

New Zealand is deploying 'rugby diplomacy' in the southern Pacific with plans to use the sport to unlock development in the region and ward off growing Chinese influence. Wellington is seeking to establish a joint team from Fiji, Samoa and Tonga that would join the Super Rugby club competition, which is contested by 15 teams from southern hemisphere nations and Japan. The involvement of a new Pacific islands team - called Pacific Force - is being seen as a potential catalyst for development in the region at a time when China is seeking to gain a foothold through massive investment. "Part of the plan is that rugby can be a diplomatic force to counter China's influence in the Pacific," said New Zealand media outlet Newshub, who first reported the plan. "The idea is that rugby will help keep hearts and minds away from China, which is saturating the region with money to obtain influence." New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters earlier this year expressed "strategic anxiety" over the Pacific. Beijing is being seen as using its economic muscle to gain influence in South Pacific countries. Australia's Lowy Institute estimates China provided US$1.78 billion in aid, including concessional loans, to Pacific nations between 2006-16. Samoa's lock and captain Chris Vui is tackled during the autumn international rugby union test match between Scotland and Samoa at Murrayfield stadium Credit: AFP China has built a presidential palace and government buildings in East Timor and invested heavily in Vanuatu, a tiny island 1,200 miles north-east from Brisbane where reports last month suggested Beijing was eyeing a military base. A New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade spokeswoman said officials had commissioned an NZ$80,000 (£41,000) report into a Pacific Island Super Rugby franchise. The spokeswoman said: "The establishment of a regional fully professional rugby team in the Pacific Islands has the potential to deliver economic and social benefits to individual players, their families and communities, Pacific Island national rugby unions and teams, and to Pacific Island economies." Fiji, Samoa and Tonga are long-established rugby nations, but players often opt to play for foreign teams at an early stage in their careers. A strong home-based team would help keep star players within the islands, and boost the development of the sport and wider investment. Super Rugby officials are currently exploring plans to restructure the competition from 2021 to 2030. There is speculation that South African teams might opt to join European rugby sides in alternative competitions.

Steaming scrum: The British & Irish Lions and Maori All Blacks engage during a match at Rotorua International Stadium in Rotorua, New Zealand, June 17, 2017.All players in the Maori All Blacks must have a confirmed Maori whakapapa, or genealogy. The British & Irish Lions is a composite squad formed every year by players from England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland, selected by the coach who oversees the tour. The squad tours every four years through one of the southern hemisphereâs big three rugby union nations: Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. The Rotorua match was played in wet conditions and ended with a 10-32 win for the Lions. (Photo: Stephen McCarthy/SportsFile)

What's on TV tonight: Dec goes solo again for the last Saturday Night Takeaway, plus The Voice final

Saturday 7 April Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway ITV, 7.00pm It can’t be easy hosting a show as exuberant as Saturday Night Takeaway on your own but Declan Donnelly made a solid if understandably restrained go of it last week. He ensured that the light entertainment series proceeded pretty much as normal in the absence of long-time work partner Ant McPartlin, whose travails were sensibly referenced only in very brief passing (“I’ve got twice the amount of work to do,” Donnelly noted at one point before mock-berating the production crew that “I’ll have to do it myself, like everything else around here this week”). That said, this final episode ups the ante as Donnelly takes the show on the road to the Universal Orlando Resort in Florida. Once there we’re promised a “super-sized” edition featuring stunts, surprises and “extra-special” guests. No word yet as to who those guests will be but expect Donnelly to continue making the best of a difficult situation, buoyed by extra support from Scarlett Moffatt, who is in charge of ensuring that the Place on the Plane winners have a wonderful time, and Stephen Mulhern, who has the possibly less than enviable task of explaining In for a Penny to an American audience. Sarah Hughes Premier League Football: Everton v Liverpool Sky Sports Main Event, 12.30pm Tired, perhaps, from their Champions League quarter-final first leg against Man City, Liverpool face their bitter local rivals Everton at Goodison Park. The home side, who’ve won three of their last six games, haven’t beaten Liverpool since October 2010, when Tim Cahill and Mikel Arteta gave them a 2-0 victory. Premiership Rugby Union: Bath v Leicester Tigers Channel 5, 1.30pm Time was when Bath and Leicester were the titans of English rugby. Currently they are fifth and eighth in the league, respectively. In September, Bath claimed a 27-23 win at Welford Road, as they held on for their first away win at Leicester since 2003, ensuring an unhappy return for George Ford against the club he left in the summer. The two sides also met in the Anglo-Welsh Cup at the Recreation Ground in November, where Bath also emerged victorious, beating Leicester 33-31 on that occasion. Premier League Football: Manchester City v Manchester United Sky Sports Main Event, 5.30pm What better way for Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City to clinch the title than by beating second-placed Manchester United at the Etihad Stadium. Sixteen points ahead of them in the table, City have been formidable this season, winning 27 of the 31 league games they’ve played. One of those victories came at Old Trafford, with a goal from Nicolas Otamendi giving City a 2-1 victory when these sides met in December. Britain’s Most Historic Towns Channel 4, 8.00pm Alice Roberts is our guide for this new six-part series, which sees her search the UK for the places that best sum up an historical era. The first era is Roman Britain, so Roberts heads to Chester, where she abseils down walls, hunkers in caves and uncovers the truth about the city. Casualty BBC One, 8.20pm The medical drama’s storyline about Dylan’s (William Beck) alcoholism continues to be sensitively handled as the medic’s ex-wife Sam (Charlotte Salt) worries about whether she can help him. Meanwhile, Ethan (George Hardy) struggles with his own demons as he realises that a patient is related to his brother’s killer. The Voice UK: Live Final ITV, 8.30pm Every reality TV idea has an allotted shelf life and it’s hard not to feel that musical talent contests have come to the end of their run. For those who disagree, The Voice UK’s grand finale is here and the final four battle it out for public approval. Below the Surface BBC Four, 9.00pm & 9.45pm BBC Four’s latest Scandi drama started off tensely but like its predecessor, Modus, it has gone on to become ever more ludicrous. Now it’s the final two episodes, and Philip Norgaard (Johannes Lassen) faces off against Mark (Jakob Oftebro), the man behind the hostage crisis. Much heartfelt talking follows, although you may end up feeling more sympathetic towards the damaged Mark than the chilly Norgaard. Pearl Jam: Let’s Play Two Sky Arts, 9.00pm When is a music documentary not a music documentary? When it’s also a sports film. This exuberant film, which was made following the Chicago Cubs’ victory in baseball’s World Series in 2016, follows die-hard Cubs fan and Pearl Jam lead singer Eddie Vedder as he cheers on his team during their championship run while also preparing the band for two August shows at the team’s Wrigley Field Stadium. The result is an affectionate portrait of the singer as fan. SH Troy: Fall of a City BBC One, 9.10pm David Farr’s epic series reaches its climax with the arrival of the most famous horse in history. After an uninspiring start, Troy has picked up in recent weeks and the final episode is a well-handled tale of betrayal and death. It’s a curate’s egg of a series, let down by poor casting. SH X-Men (2000) ★★★★☆ Film4, 7.00pm Bryan Singer directs an all-star cast that includes Patrick Stewart, Hugh Jackman, Ian McKellen and Halle Berry, in the first of the X-Men franchise. A group of mutants must decide whether to side with Professor Xavier (Stewart) or the evil Magneto (McKellen) in what is a solid opening to the series and which paved the way for plenty of big-budget sequels. This is followed by X-Men 2 and X-Men 3 at 9.00pm and 11.35pm respectively. Legend (2015) ★★★☆☆ Channel 4, 9.00pm Tom Hardy gives a solid, convincing performance as east London gangster Reggie Kray but his caricatured portrayal of twin brother Ronnie lets him down, and this inconsistency leads to an entertaining though muddled film. Emily Browning, however, gives just the right mix of defiance and despair as Frances Shea, Reggie’s put-upon wife. Watch out for some particularly gory scenes. Lethal Weapon 2 (1989) ★★★☆☆ ITV4, 9.05pm Mel Gibson sports his signature Eighties mullet in the second film of this daft-but-fun action franchise. LAPD officer Riggs (Gibson) teams up once again with his partner Murtaugh (Danny Glover) to track down a band of South African criminals while protecting a painfully frenzied witness (Joe Pesci). Naturally, the pair find themselves drawn into violent action sequences orchestrated by stereotypical bad guys. Sunday 8 April Hostess with the mostest: Catherine Tate presents the awards Credit: ITV The Olivier Awards 2018 ITV, 10.20pm Last year, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child swept the board with nine Olivier Awards, something that looked impossible to top. But then came Lin Manuel Miranda’s blockbuster musical Hamilton, whose West End run has received reviews every bit as rapturous as those from its Broadway debut. The show has a record-breaking 13 nominations, which it is thought will be translated into awards. After being snubbed for Jerusalem, Jez Butterworth will surely be rewarded for his equally magisterial play The Ferryman (its eight nominations include best play and best director for Sam Mendes), while contenders in the acting categories include Bryan Cranston for Network, Andrew Garfield for Angels in America and Lesley Manville for Long Day’s Journey into Night. Catherine Tate will be on hosting duties for the event at the Royal Albert Hall, which will, as usual, feature a crop of stellar performances; this one will include a special tribute to Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, which turns 50 this year. Let’s hope the organisers bring together Josephs of the past for a big singalong: Jason Donovan, Phillip Schofield, Ian “H” Watkins and Lee Mead will all, one suspects, be available. Gabriel Tate Sex Robots and Us BBC Three, from 10.00am James Young, an amputee who created his own bionic arm, meets the people who design sex robots and hears about their plans for them, from being given to old people’s homes to “employment” in brothels. But is it the harmless, even socially responsible pursuit thatthey claim? Formula 1: The Bahrain Grand Prix Sky Sports F1, 3.30pm After the Australian Grand Prix – in which Sebastian Vettel took advantage of a safety-car blunder to win under pristine Melbourne skies – attention turns to the second round of the season at the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir. Another blunder cost Lewis Hamilton on this circuit last year – this time it happened in the pit lane, with Vettel capitalising to win by 6.6 seconds. The Generation Game BBC One, 8.00pm How do you top last week’s cavalcade of silliness in this rebooted game show? You rope in Danny Dyer to join Mel Giedroyc, Sue Perkins and panellists Melvin Odoom and Roisin Conaty for challenges that include cake decorating, balloon modelling and dancing the Argentine Tango. The Durrells ITV, 8.00pm In the fourth episode of the popular drama, Larry (Josh O’Connor) visits Athens with two oddly named guests – Captain Creech (James Cosmo) and Prince Jeejeebuoy (Tanmay Dhanania) – in tow. There, they offer advice to Gerry (Milo Parker), who is applying for a new school. Jesus’ Female Disciples: the New Evidence Channel 4, 8.00pm For centuries, the birth of Christianity was regarded as a largely male affair, with women as only bit-part players. Now, Bible experts Helen Bond and Joan Taylor have discovered evidence that women were involved in everything from preaching and baptising to funding the movement as it grew. This absorbing documentary follows the historians’ progress. Golf: The Masters Sky Sports Main Event, 8.00pm Prepare for a dramatic finale as this year’s first Major – from the Augusta National in Georgia – concludes. Last year, Spain’s Sergio Garcia won the coveted green jacket, beating Justin Rose in a tense play-off. Ordeal by Innocence BBC One, 9.00pm Sarah Phelps’s splendid adaptation continues, as Arthur Calgary (Luke Treadaway) resolves to prove the truth about Jack Argyll’s (Anthony Boyle) alibi by any means necessary. GT Folk Awards 2018 BBC Four, 9.00pm Mark Radcliffe and Julie Fowlis introduce highlights from this year’s Radio 2 Folk Awards in Belfast. It features performances from Cara Dillon, Lankum and Eliza Carthy and the Wayward Band. The great Nick Drake will also be inducted into the Hall of Fame, his genius long-established, even if such recognition eluded him during his short life. Producer Dónal Lunny, meanwhile, receives the Lifetime Achievement Award for decades of tireless work promoting the renaissance in Irish music, plus The Armagh Pipers Club are presented with the Good Tradition Award. GT Emma (1996) ★★★★☆ BBC Two, 3.00pm Gwyneth Paltrow’s American iciness melts in this deft adaptation of Jane Austen’s classic comic romance. She is Emma Woodhouse, spoilt, charming and an inveterate meddler. Only Mr George Knightley (Jeremy Northam) dares challenge her behaviour – but what are his motives? A clever film with a superb supporting cast, including Toni Collette, Alan Cumming and Ewan McGregor. United 93 (2006) ★★★★☆ Sky Cinema Greats, 9.55pm Director Paul Greengrass’s boneshaking, real-time take on the final hours of the United Airlines plane whose passengers rebelled against their hijackers on September 11, 2001 feels uncomfortably realistic. Greengrass, whose signature rapid cutting made the second and third Bourne films so exciting, proves expert at handling the most infamous atrocity of modern times with intelligence and sobriety. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011) ★★★★☆ Channel 4, 11.00pm This superb adaptation of John le Carré’s brilliant, intricate Cold War spy novel is a triumph. The espionage drama follows the hunt for a Soviet double agent at the top of the British secret service, with Gary Oldman spearheading the excellent ensemble cast, which includes Colin Firth, Tom Hardy, John Hurt and Benedict Cumberbatch. It’s funny, seductive and suspenseful. Monday 9 April I spy: a recruit sees if she’s got what it takes to be an SOE agent Credit: BBC Secret Agent Selection: WW2 BBC Two, 9.00pm Not unlike Channel 4’s SAS: Who Dares Wins and BBC Two’s Astronauts: Do You Have What It Takes?, this absorbing new series puts a group of recruits through a series of gruelling physical and psychological challenges to see if they could make the grade as a secret agent according to an established selection test used during the Second World War. This test was used by the Special Operations Executive (SOE) to determine whether recruits from many different walks of life would be capable of being dropped behind enemy lines and surviving as a covert officer with a brief to cause the maximum disruption possible to the enemy in the territory. As with the original SOE, the 14 candidates come from diverse backgrounds (among them a research scientist, a property developer, former police officer, a drag act performer, a retired investment banker and an Army veteran). In the opening episode, they undergo the initial four-day assessment at a remote Scottish country-house estate. The aim is to winnow out weakness and determine who should win a place on the advanced, and suitably terrifying, course in assassination, sabotage and covert intelligence techniques. Gerard O’Donovan Famalam BBC Three, from 10.00am After a successful pilot last year, Vivienne Acheampong, Gbemisola Ikumelo, Roxanne Sternberg, Tom Moutchi and John MacMillan return with more culturally skewed sketches. Once again, they feature William and Funke’s raunchy chat show, misunderstood superhero Eclipse, Croydon’s voodoo practitioner Professor Lofuko, and a version of Midsomer Murders. 800 Words BBC One, 2.15pm If you like The Durrells you will definitely want to watch hit Australian comedy drama 800 Words. This gently funny series follows George (Erik Thomson), a widower, who horrifies his teenaged children when he moves the entire family to a remote seaside town in New Zealand. Springtime on the Farm Channel 5, 8.00pm This is the first of five shows this week celebrating the “great British farmer”, with the help of Yorkshire Vet stars Peter Wright and Julian Norton, Adam Henson of Countryfile and Springwatch’s Lindsey Chapman. In this programme, they explore how to cope with the stresses of lambing. MasterChef: The Finals BBC One, 9.00pm Oodles of challenges lie ahead for the remaining amateur chefs in the final week, which takes them as far afield as Peru ahead of Friday’s concluding cook-off. First, though, they’re off to North Yorkshire to cater a country-house lunch for local grandees and farmers. Lisbon: An Art Lovers’ Guide BBC Four, 9.00pm Having covered Barcelona, St Petersburg and Amsterdam in their first series of city-break guides, historian Dr Janina Ramirez and art critic Alastair Sooke jet off to explore three less obvious, art-rich destinations. Beirut and Baku are perhaps the more intriguing but it opens in Lisbon, which built up its art reserves during the centuries Portugal was part of one of the world’s great empires, and currently boasts one of the hottest contemporary art scenes in Europe. GO Marcella ITV, 9.00pm This drama’s been a little less fraught the second time round but Marcella still pushes the boundaries of credibility. In this concluding part, the heroine (Anna Friel) tracks down the killer, only to suffer one of her unfortunate episodes. GO The Core (2003) ★★★☆☆ Film4, 6.25pm Rome starts to crumble, the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco collapses and pigeons go mental in Trafalgar Square. Something is obviously amiss, and this time it isn’t climate change. In fact, the Earth’s core has stopped rotating and a team of scientists has to build a special burrowing machine to start it spinning again. Hilary Swank, Stanley Tucci and Aaron Eckhart do their best, but the excitement is intermittent. The Emoji Movie (2017) ★☆☆☆☆ Sky Cinema Premiere, 6.30pm In this animated comedy set inside a smartphone, Gene (voiced by T J Miller), an emoji with multiple facial features, sets out on a quest to be like his colleagues who have only one. He does so with the help of apps like Spotify and Candy Crush. Sadly, the result is so horrendous that there aren’t enough Patrick Stewart-voiced emojis in the world to express what an ugly, artless exercise this is. Triple 9 (2016) ★★★☆☆ Film4, 9.00pm A gang of criminals and corrupt cops plan to kill a police officer in order to pull off their biggest heist yet in John Hillcoat’s crime thriller. There is a lot to like here: a big opening and a strong cast (with Kate Winslet, Gal Gadot, Anthony Mackie and Chiwetel Ejiofor among them). But it feels like fragments of a great crime drama are missing; it’s enthralling up close, but then the big picture isn’t complete. Tuesday 10 April Back to school: Mark, who has two sons with autism Credit: Channel 4 Class of Mum and Dad Channel 4, 8.00pm Another week, another Channel 4 series about education. Hold off on the black marks, however, because this one is pretty good. The premise is simple: Blackrod Primary School just outside of Bolton has thrown open its doors to a class made up of pupils’ parents (and one grandparent). They’ve agreed to go back to school for the summer term to see what modern education is really like, sports day, Sats tests and all. Naturally, its harder than many of them were expecting – 36-year-old decorator Jonny states early on that he thought he’d be able to slope off for a swift cigarette break rather than having to adhere to strict class rules – but there are some touching stories amid the more obvious moments. Most notably, this opening episode focuses on two parents with challenging home lives – Julia, who is raising her 10-year-old cousin Asha after Asha’s mother died, and Mark, who has two autistic sons. While the parents’ travails are interesting, the children are the real scene-stealers, however, from those delighted that their mothers and fathers are taking part to those who are more sceptical. The pair of five-year-olds who spend their time corpsing in front of the camera are particularly endearing. Sarah Hughes Champions League Football: Manchester City v Liverpool BT Sport 2, 7.45pm The Etihad Stadium is the setting as City and Liverpool fight it out for a place in the semi-finals. Liverpool have the advantage following a 3-0 win at Anfield in the first leg. This Time Next Year ITV, 8.00pm Davina McCall returns with another set of heart-tugging stories of people attempting to transform their lives over the course of a year. First up are two new parents who dream of making life wonderful for their baby girl who has been deaf since birth and a couple desperate to start a family. Come Home BBC One, 9.00pm Danny Brocklehurst’s claustrophobic family drama comes to a head as we flashback to find out exactly what went wrong in Greg (Christopher Eccleston) and Marie’s (Paula Malcomson) marriage. Hospital BBC Two, 9.00pm The engrossing fly-on-the-wall medical series continues with Nottingham University Hospitals Trust struggling to cope with the new NHS ruling regarding the cancellation of all non-urgent surgery. The episode focuses on Val, a 55-year-old with mouth cancer whose surgeon is desperately trying to ensure that her operation goes ahead. Here and Now Sky Atlantic, 9.00pm With only two episodes left to go, Alan Ball’s family drama continues to tread water in the most frustrating ways. On paper, there are a whole bunch of interesting stories in the mix, from Kristen’s (Sosie Bacon) possible relationship with Navid (Marwan Salama) to Ramon’s (Daniel Zovatto) continuing visions, but the problem is nothing much happens with any of them as each story moves on only incrementally each week. In this episode, Audrey (Holly Hunter) finally turns the tables on the perpetually smug Greg (Tim Robbins). Cunk on Britain BBC Two, 10.00pm; NI, 11.15pm Diane Morgan’s pitch-perfect send-up of history programmes moves to the Tudor era and beyond as Cunk takes on Henry VIII, aka “The kingiest king who kinged over Britain” before giving us her unique perspective on “Bloody” Mary Tudor (“horrible like the drink”) and Elizabeth I. SH Divorce Sky Atlantic, 10.10pm The acerbic Sarah Jessica Parker sitcom has been firing on all cylinders throughout its second series – possibly because it’s more interesting watching Frances (Parker) and Robert (the excellent Thomas Haden Church) navigate life after divorce than it was watching them get there. Here, Frances tries to make a new contact in the art world. SH Speed (1994) ★★★★☆ Film4, 9.00pm “There’s a bomb on the bus!” is the most famous line and basically the entire plot of one of the best action thrillers of the Nineties. The sizzling chemistry between LAPD Swat specialist Jack Traven (Keanu Reeves) and passenger Annie Porter (Sandra Bullock) sexes up the exhilarating action scenes, while Dennis Hopper is fantastically unhinged as a revenge-driven, retired bomb squad member turned terrorist. Fast & Furious 7 (2015) ★★★☆☆ ITV2, 9.00pm Paul Walker was killed in a car crash part-way through making this film so it was completed with the help of his two younger brothers and some subtle computer graphics. The good news is that this is the best film in the franchise and does justice to Walker. It isn’t polished blockbuster film-making – though if it was, it wouldn’t be Fast & Furious. But it speaks straight to your adrenal glands. The Witches of Eastwick (1987) ★★★☆☆ Syfy, 9.00pm It is remarkable that director George Miller’s daft, unfettered romp of a film works at all. But, thanks to Jack Nicholson’s delicious overacting as Daryl Van Horne, a manic gentleman who closely resembles the devil, and the three gorgeous, single small-town friends, Alexandra (Cher), Jane (Susan Sarandon) and Sukie (Michelle Pfeiffer), who vie for his debased attentions, it somehow does. Wednesday 11 April Family ties: Edgar Ramirez and Penelope Cruz Credit: BBC The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story BBC Two, 9.00pm It’s been fascinating to discover the “true” story behind the 1997 murder of fhion designer Gianni Versace in Ryan Murphy’s glitzy drama, which has expertly depicted the inner world of the perpetrator, a Walter Mitty-style serial killer called Andrew Cunanan (a career-defining role for Darren Criss). This episode, however, has a mid-series lull about it as Cunanan ascends to the higher echelons of gay society, shaping himself meticulously into the posh, preppy eye-candy who saw a sugar daddy (or two) as his way to the top. Elsewhere, the Versace siblings return at last. Gianni (Edgar Ramirez), now in failing health decides to champion his insecure sister Donatella (Penélope Cruz in a frightful wig) and turns her into both designer and muse. Despite a lack of characters to root for – the Versaces’ moments of vulnerability dissolve into tedious histrionics and are eclipsed by Cunanan’s cold-blooded machinations – it’s all quite a fabulous mix of fashion, high society and brutal murder, with some interesting commentary on homophobia in the Nineties as well. Vicki Power The Secret Helpers BBC Two, 8.00pm Watch and weep as timid elderly widow Lesley begins a new life as an out gay woman in this life-affirming docu-series. She’s encouraged with warmth and wisdom by amateur “sages” from abroad, who talk to her secretly through a hidden earpiece. From World War to Cold War Yesterday, 8.00pm As the Second World War drew to a close, Churchill, Stalin and Roosevelt met at Yalta in the Crimea to broker post-war peace. This brisk two-part documentary raids the archives for clips and letters from those who attended, and gathers experts and relatives – including FDR’s grandson – to investigate power plays by Stalin that wrong-footed his Allied counterparts. It’s a detailed look at how and why the compromises reached at Yalta were quickly cast aside. Bacchus Uncovered: Ancient God of Ecstasy BBC Four, 9.00pm Historian Bettany Hughes continues to explore ancient civilisations, moving on to Bacchus, the Roman god of wine. Hughes’s odyssey starts under the City of London, where an 1,800-year-old Roman temple to Bacchus was discovered less than 100 years ago, and takes her to Greece, the Middle East and the Caucasus to explore the god’s roots and influence. VP Benidorm ITV, 9.00pm Fluffy as candyfloss, this lewd seaside comedy provides some fun, particularly in the retro casting of stars of yesteryear. This week, an exuberant Sammy (Shane Richie) tries to persuade Monty (John Challis) that, after his successful comeback gig, he is ready for an evening slot. One Born Every Minute Channel 4, 9.00pm This feelgood documentary series brings more poignant tales from a Birmingham labour ward. This week we meet Chantell, about to deliver her third child, who regales us with a moving story of how parenthood with partner Phil has healed the wounds of a traumatic past. First Dates Channel 4, 10.00pm The thoughtful dating show pairs up four more couples, but the road to love is bumpy – septuagenarian Deanna finds her date more interested in the waiter than her. More promising is the match between Bianca and Teza, who allow their vulnerabilities to show. VP The Thin Red Line (1998) ★★★★☆ Sky Cinema Greats, 3.10pm This lyrical Second World War drama, directed by Terrence Malick, tells the story of a group of young US soldiers fighting the Japanese for control of the island of Guadalcanal. Full of stars such as Sean Penn and George Clooney, it struggles with its own battle to squeeze in so many characters but is still an atmospheric meditation on the nature of war. Nick Nolte and Adrien Brody also star. The Remains of the Day (1993) ★★★★☆ Sony Movie Channel, 3.55pm The success of Merchant Ivory’s adaptation of Kazuo Ishiguro’s Thirties-set novel, a well-observed study of regret, is built around its perfectly cast leads: Anthony Hopkins as James, the butler to the doltish aristocrat Lord Darlington (James Fox) and Emma Thompson as a housekeeper who tries to draw him out of his sterile shell. Lush visuals give it an added richness. Transporter 2 (2005) ★★★☆☆ Film4, 9.00pm A martial arts action sequel, in which Jason Statham and Alessandro Gassman are the sporadically thrilling stars. Statham is Frank Martin, who accepts a job as chauffeur to Jack (Hunter Clary), the son of Miami’s politician Jefferson Billings (Matthew Modine). But the local Colombian drug dealers aren’t happy with his boss’s efforts to clean up the city. Cue a kidnapping, and a potentially deadly encounter with a cocaine baron. Thursday 12 April Changing attitudes: Holly and Hollie Credit: BBC Living with the Brainy Bunch BBC Two, 8.00pm Enterprising, PR-conscious Ash Ali is headmaster of Chessington Community College, a fast-improving school with a few problem pupils. Among them are Jack and Hollie who, on the surface, are comically awful teenagers. Hollie gripes constantly, throws strops and storms out of classrooms if things aren’t going her way. Jack is sullen, lazy and has clocked up 15 suspensions in the past year. It will come as no surprise to regular viewers of such documentaries that their behaviour is rooted in low self-esteem, although their parents unquestionably indulge their foibles. Ali’s novel solution is to place Hollie with Holly, tapdancing head girl and gregarious boffin, and Jack with Tharush, a Sri Lankan immigrant by way of Italy, whose talents are only matched by his work ethic. Now that Jack and Hollie are in the bosom of new families for six weeks, it’s hoped that a new environment, greater discipline and rigid routines will see their results improve and attitudes pick up. There are setbacks on the largely familiar narrative trajectory, but it’s cast to perfection and, as a demonstration of the importance of parenting in academic achievement, the experiment gets an A-star. Gabriel Tate European Tour Golf: The Open de Espana Sky Sports Golf, 11.00am The opening day’s play of the event from the Centro Nacional de Golf in Madrid, which was won by Andrew Johnston the last time it was held in 2016. War Above the Trenches Yesterday, 8.00pm This decent two-parter tells the story of the Royal Flying Corps and their battle to win control of the air in the First World War. Based on Peter Hart’s book Bloody April, it draws affectingly on the testimony of veterans to show there was more to the Western Front than trench warfare. Civilisations BBC Two, 9.00pm The modern age draws closer, as Simon Schama tackles the theme of radiance, guiding us through Gothic cathedrals, Baroque Venetian masterpieces and dazzling Japanese woodblock prints. The Investigator: A British Crime Story ITV, 9.00pm The second real-life case of the series sees Mark Williams-Thomas investigating the 1977 murders of three women in Glasgow. The suspect is Angus Sinclair, who is currently serving a life sentence for killing two other women that same year. We hear from his ex-wife, and learn how he was a prime suspect but escaped charges for the first killings when key evidence went missing. Indian Summer School Channel 4, 9.00pm This diverting documentary series concludes with a Himalayan trek, a controversial article in the school newspaper and the GCSE retakes that were the goal of the entire enterprise. Will Alfie, Harry, Jack and co see their grades improve? Urban Myths: Marilyn Monroe and Billy Wilder Sky Arts, 9.00pm Sky Arts’ boldly cast series of vaguely apocryphal tales from the pop-culture frontlines returns with a dispatch from the set of Some Like It Hot, the magnificent 1959 comedy that is almost certainly more fun to watch than it was to make. In this minor but entertaining reimagining, Tony Curtis (Alex Pettyfer) is threatening to cuckold Arthur Miller (Dougray Scott) by making off with Marilyn Monroe (Gemma Arterton), whose caprice, drinking and sensitivity is driving director Billy Wilder (James Purefoy) to distraction. GT Still Game BBC One, 9.30pm; BBC Two Wales, 10.00pm Justifying its prime-time BBC One slot, the Scottish sitcom bows out in triumph with a typically well-wrought farce involving a Hollywood stuntman, a disastrous driving lesson and romance for the widowed Isa (Jane McCarry). GT The Man with the Golden Gun (1974) ★★★★☆ ITV4, 9.00pm Christopher Lee steals the show as the titular assassin, Francisco Scaramanga, in this classic Bond adventure. Roger Moore’s secret agent, in his second outing as 007, must pursue him, with the help of sidekick Mary Goodnight (Britt Ekland), to the villain’s island lair in order to prevent him harnessing the power of the Sun for evil. The confrontations between Moore and Lee are easily the film’s highlights. Swordfish (2001) ★★☆☆☆ TCM, 9.00pm The most often quoted bit of trivia about this film is that Halle Berry was paid an additional £500,000 to go topless. It’s rather lucky she agreed because she’s probably the most appealing aspect of this frenetic thriller. John Travolta and Hugh Jackman put on testosterone-fuelled displays as a morally dubious counter-terrorist agent and the hacker he blackmails into accessing billions of dollars of government money. Some Like It Hot (1959, b/w) ★★★★★ Sky Arts, 9.30pm When two musicians (Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis) witness a mob hit, they flee the state disguised as women in an all-female band, but further complications arise in the form of demure ukulele player Sugar Kane, superbly played by Marilyn Monroe. Billy Wilder’s classic comedy is effortlessly wacky and clever. Before, at 9pm, is Urban Myths, which imagines what happened on the set of this romcom. Friday 13 April Dishing out opinions: John Torode and Gregg Wallace Credit: BBC MasterChef: The Final BBC One, 8.30pm It has taken 25 episodes over seven weeks to whittle down the 56 amateur contestants to three finalists, and in the process, MasterChef 2018 has produced some of the best cooking – and some of the toughest competition – in the series’ long history. (It has been running in one form or another since 1990; and since 2005 in, roughly, its current format with judges Gregg Wallace and John Torode presenting.) This last week has been no exception, with the finalists having to dig deeper than ever to produce the best dishes of their lives and some great moments – notably during the spectacular trip to South America when they met Peruvian superchef Gaston Acurio and took on a service at the fifth best restaurant in the world, the Central in Lima, under Michelin-starred maestro Virgilio Martínez Véliz. In the finale, it’s all about who cooks the best food, though, as the final three return to the studio kitchen to undergo a test of culinary skills and nerve as they set about creating the most important three-course meal of their lives – in the hope of being judged worthy of a title that has launched many a great career: MasterChef champion. Gerard O’Donovan Chef’s Table: Pastry Netflix, from today This mouth-watering spin-off from Netflix’s popular global foodie series Chef’s Table puts the focus entirely on sweet stuff, talking the cameras inside the kitchens of some of the world’s best pastry chefs, among them Christina Tosi’s Milk Bar in New York, Corrado Assenza’s Caffé Sicilia in Noto, Sicily, Jordi Roca’s El Celler de Can Roca in Girona, and Will Goldfarb’s Room4Dessert in Bali. Lost in Space Netflix, from today Not so much a rerun as a spectacular new take on the classic Sixties sci-fi series about a family marooned in space when their ship runs into difficulty on their way to a new colony and crashes on an unknown and surprisingly hostile planet. There are plenty of thrills and impressive visual effects, and Toby Stephens and Molly Parker are excellent as the pioneering Robinson parents John and Judy, while Parker Posey is an enigmatic (and now female) Dr Smith. GO The City & The City BBC Two, 9.00pm; Wales, 9.30pm Cop thrillers don’t come much more weirdly dystopian than China Miéville’s award-winning 2009 novel and this ultra-stylish adaptation serves its source material very well. In episode two, Inspector Borlú (David Morrissey) ventures back across the border while investigating the murder of a foreign student. Episodes BBC Two, 10.00pm; Wales, 11.05pm Having overcome last week’s unfortunate episode in this sitcom, Matt (Matt LeBlanc) is back on top and leveraging his spurt in the ratings for all it’s worth, handing Sean (Stephen Mangan) and Beverly (Tamsin Greig) a welcome opportunity for escape. Lee and Dean Channel 4, 10.00pm More rough charm, as life gets complicated for Stevenage’s very own Dumb and Dumber when Lee’s (Miles Chapman) financial worries mount and Dean (Mark O’Sullivan) is persuaded to premiere his poetry at the local arts club. Front Row Late BBC Two, 11.05pm; Wales, 11.35pm Freedom of speech and censorship are under the spotlight as host Mary Beard and guests discuss Theatre Clwyd’s production The Assassination of Katie Hopkins and former US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright’s new book Fascism: A Warning. GO Alien: Covenant (2017) ★★★★★ Sky Cinema Premiere, 8.00pm The latest film in the Alien saga from Ridley Scott is arguably a mad scientist movie. It follows the crew of the colony ship Covenant (including Katherine Waterson) as they discover what they think is an uncharted paradise, but what they uncover a threat beyond their imagination. Michael Fassbender puts in a spectacular turn as kindly robot David and his twisted “brother” Walter. Invictus (2009) ★★★★☆ ITV, 10.45pm Following the death of Nelson Mandela’s ex-wife Winnie last week, aged 81, here’s Clint Eastwood’s take on South Africa’s World Cup victory in 1995. As the country emerges from apartheid, the newly elected President Mandela (an uncanny Morgan Freeman) sees the potential for the national rugby team, led by François Pienaar (Matt Damon), to be a catalyst for harmony. This is a polished and uplifting film. Monty Python Live at the Hollywood Bowl (1982) ★★★★☆ Gold, 1.40am Much like the Secret Policeman’s Ball, this comedy performance film sees the Monty Python gang take to the stage, but this time they’re in Hollywood. Among the sketches are the Silly Olympics, where athletes compete in absurd sports, The Lumberjack Song, and The Ministry of Silly Walks. This film also features Carol Cleveland in numerous supporting roles. Television previewers Toby Dantzic, Sarah Hughes, Gerard O'Donovan, Vicki Power and Gabriel Tate

What's on TV tonight: Dec goes solo again for the last Saturday Night Takeaway, plus The Voice final

Saturday 7 April Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway ITV, 7.00pm It can’t be easy hosting a show as exuberant as Saturday Night Takeaway on your own but Declan Donnelly made a solid if understandably restrained go of it last week. He ensured that the light entertainment series proceeded pretty much as normal in the absence of long-time work partner Ant McPartlin, whose travails were sensibly referenced only in very brief passing (“I’ve got twice the amount of work to do,” Donnelly noted at one point before mock-berating the production crew that “I’ll have to do it myself, like everything else around here this week”). That said, this final episode ups the ante as Donnelly takes the show on the road to the Universal Orlando Resort in Florida. Once there we’re promised a “super-sized” edition featuring stunts, surprises and “extra-special” guests. No word yet as to who those guests will be but expect Donnelly to continue making the best of a difficult situation, buoyed by extra support from Scarlett Moffatt, who is in charge of ensuring that the Place on the Plane winners have a wonderful time, and Stephen Mulhern, who has the possibly less than enviable task of explaining In for a Penny to an American audience. Sarah Hughes Premier League Football: Everton v Liverpool Sky Sports Main Event, 12.30pm Tired, perhaps, from their Champions League quarter-final first leg against Man City, Liverpool face their bitter local rivals Everton at Goodison Park. The home side, who’ve won three of their last six games, haven’t beaten Liverpool since October 2010, when Tim Cahill and Mikel Arteta gave them a 2-0 victory. Premiership Rugby Union: Bath v Leicester Tigers Channel 5, 1.30pm Time was when Bath and Leicester were the titans of English rugby. Currently they are fifth and eighth in the league, respectively. In September, Bath claimed a 27-23 win at Welford Road, as they held on for their first away win at Leicester since 2003, ensuring an unhappy return for George Ford against the club he left in the summer. The two sides also met in the Anglo-Welsh Cup at the Recreation Ground in November, where Bath also emerged victorious, beating Leicester 33-31 on that occasion. Premier League Football: Manchester City v Manchester United Sky Sports Main Event, 5.30pm What better way for Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City to clinch the title than by beating second-placed Manchester United at the Etihad Stadium. Sixteen points ahead of them in the table, City have been formidable this season, winning 27 of the 31 league games they’ve played. One of those victories came at Old Trafford, with a goal from Nicolas Otamendi giving City a 2-1 victory when these sides met in December. Britain’s Most Historic Towns Channel 4, 8.00pm Alice Roberts is our guide for this new six-part series, which sees her search the UK for the places that best sum up an historical era. The first era is Roman Britain, so Roberts heads to Chester, where she abseils down walls, hunkers in caves and uncovers the truth about the city. Casualty BBC One, 8.20pm The medical drama’s storyline about Dylan’s (William Beck) alcoholism continues to be sensitively handled as the medic’s ex-wife Sam (Charlotte Salt) worries about whether she can help him. Meanwhile, Ethan (George Hardy) struggles with his own demons as he realises that a patient is related to his brother’s killer. The Voice UK: Live Final ITV, 8.30pm Every reality TV idea has an allotted shelf life and it’s hard not to feel that musical talent contests have come to the end of their run. For those who disagree, The Voice UK’s grand finale is here and the final four battle it out for public approval. Below the Surface BBC Four, 9.00pm & 9.45pm BBC Four’s latest Scandi drama started off tensely but like its predecessor, Modus, it has gone on to become ever more ludicrous. Now it’s the final two episodes, and Philip Norgaard (Johannes Lassen) faces off against Mark (Jakob Oftebro), the man behind the hostage crisis. Much heartfelt talking follows, although you may end up feeling more sympathetic towards the damaged Mark than the chilly Norgaard. Pearl Jam: Let’s Play Two Sky Arts, 9.00pm When is a music documentary not a music documentary? When it’s also a sports film. This exuberant film, which was made following the Chicago Cubs’ victory in baseball’s World Series in 2016, follows die-hard Cubs fan and Pearl Jam lead singer Eddie Vedder as he cheers on his team during their championship run while also preparing the band for two August shows at the team’s Wrigley Field Stadium. The result is an affectionate portrait of the singer as fan. SH Troy: Fall of a City BBC One, 9.10pm David Farr’s epic series reaches its climax with the arrival of the most famous horse in history. After an uninspiring start, Troy has picked up in recent weeks and the final episode is a well-handled tale of betrayal and death. It’s a curate’s egg of a series, let down by poor casting. SH X-Men (2000) ★★★★☆ Film4, 7.00pm Bryan Singer directs an all-star cast that includes Patrick Stewart, Hugh Jackman, Ian McKellen and Halle Berry, in the first of the X-Men franchise. A group of mutants must decide whether to side with Professor Xavier (Stewart) or the evil Magneto (McKellen) in what is a solid opening to the series and which paved the way for plenty of big-budget sequels. This is followed by X-Men 2 and X-Men 3 at 9.00pm and 11.35pm respectively. Legend (2015) ★★★☆☆ Channel 4, 9.00pm Tom Hardy gives a solid, convincing performance as east London gangster Reggie Kray but his caricatured portrayal of twin brother Ronnie lets him down, and this inconsistency leads to an entertaining though muddled film. Emily Browning, however, gives just the right mix of defiance and despair as Frances Shea, Reggie’s put-upon wife. Watch out for some particularly gory scenes. Lethal Weapon 2 (1989) ★★★☆☆ ITV4, 9.05pm Mel Gibson sports his signature Eighties mullet in the second film of this daft-but-fun action franchise. LAPD officer Riggs (Gibson) teams up once again with his partner Murtaugh (Danny Glover) to track down a band of South African criminals while protecting a painfully frenzied witness (Joe Pesci). Naturally, the pair find themselves drawn into violent action sequences orchestrated by stereotypical bad guys. Sunday 8 April Hostess with the mostest: Catherine Tate presents the awards Credit: ITV The Olivier Awards 2018 ITV, 10.20pm Last year, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child swept the board with nine Olivier Awards, something that looked impossible to top. But then came Lin Manuel Miranda’s blockbuster musical Hamilton, whose West End run has received reviews every bit as rapturous as those from its Broadway debut. The show has a record-breaking 13 nominations, which it is thought will be translated into awards. After being snubbed for Jerusalem, Jez Butterworth will surely be rewarded for his equally magisterial play The Ferryman (its eight nominations include best play and best director for Sam Mendes), while contenders in the acting categories include Bryan Cranston for Network, Andrew Garfield for Angels in America and Lesley Manville for Long Day’s Journey into Night. Catherine Tate will be on hosting duties for the event at the Royal Albert Hall, which will, as usual, feature a crop of stellar performances; this one will include a special tribute to Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, which turns 50 this year. Let’s hope the organisers bring together Josephs of the past for a big singalong: Jason Donovan, Phillip Schofield, Ian “H” Watkins and Lee Mead will all, one suspects, be available. Gabriel Tate Sex Robots and Us BBC Three, from 10.00am James Young, an amputee who created his own bionic arm, meets the people who design sex robots and hears about their plans for them, from being given to old people’s homes to “employment” in brothels. But is it the harmless, even socially responsible pursuit thatthey claim? Formula 1: The Bahrain Grand Prix Sky Sports F1, 3.30pm After the Australian Grand Prix – in which Sebastian Vettel took advantage of a safety-car blunder to win under pristine Melbourne skies – attention turns to the second round of the season at the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir. Another blunder cost Lewis Hamilton on this circuit last year – this time it happened in the pit lane, with Vettel capitalising to win by 6.6 seconds. The Generation Game BBC One, 8.00pm How do you top last week’s cavalcade of silliness in this rebooted game show? You rope in Danny Dyer to join Mel Giedroyc, Sue Perkins and panellists Melvin Odoom and Roisin Conaty for challenges that include cake decorating, balloon modelling and dancing the Argentine Tango. The Durrells ITV, 8.00pm In the fourth episode of the popular drama, Larry (Josh O’Connor) visits Athens with two oddly named guests – Captain Creech (James Cosmo) and Prince Jeejeebuoy (Tanmay Dhanania) – in tow. There, they offer advice to Gerry (Milo Parker), who is applying for a new school. Jesus’ Female Disciples: the New Evidence Channel 4, 8.00pm For centuries, the birth of Christianity was regarded as a largely male affair, with women as only bit-part players. Now, Bible experts Helen Bond and Joan Taylor have discovered evidence that women were involved in everything from preaching and baptising to funding the movement as it grew. This absorbing documentary follows the historians’ progress. Golf: The Masters Sky Sports Main Event, 8.00pm Prepare for a dramatic finale as this year’s first Major – from the Augusta National in Georgia – concludes. Last year, Spain’s Sergio Garcia won the coveted green jacket, beating Justin Rose in a tense play-off. Ordeal by Innocence BBC One, 9.00pm Sarah Phelps’s splendid adaptation continues, as Arthur Calgary (Luke Treadaway) resolves to prove the truth about Jack Argyll’s (Anthony Boyle) alibi by any means necessary. GT Folk Awards 2018 BBC Four, 9.00pm Mark Radcliffe and Julie Fowlis introduce highlights from this year’s Radio 2 Folk Awards in Belfast. It features performances from Cara Dillon, Lankum and Eliza Carthy and the Wayward Band. The great Nick Drake will also be inducted into the Hall of Fame, his genius long-established, even if such recognition eluded him during his short life. Producer Dónal Lunny, meanwhile, receives the Lifetime Achievement Award for decades of tireless work promoting the renaissance in Irish music, plus The Armagh Pipers Club are presented with the Good Tradition Award. GT Emma (1996) ★★★★☆ BBC Two, 3.00pm Gwyneth Paltrow’s American iciness melts in this deft adaptation of Jane Austen’s classic comic romance. She is Emma Woodhouse, spoilt, charming and an inveterate meddler. Only Mr George Knightley (Jeremy Northam) dares challenge her behaviour – but what are his motives? A clever film with a superb supporting cast, including Toni Collette, Alan Cumming and Ewan McGregor. United 93 (2006) ★★★★☆ Sky Cinema Greats, 9.55pm Director Paul Greengrass’s boneshaking, real-time take on the final hours of the United Airlines plane whose passengers rebelled against their hijackers on September 11, 2001 feels uncomfortably realistic. Greengrass, whose signature rapid cutting made the second and third Bourne films so exciting, proves expert at handling the most infamous atrocity of modern times with intelligence and sobriety. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011) ★★★★☆ Channel 4, 11.00pm This superb adaptation of John le Carré’s brilliant, intricate Cold War spy novel is a triumph. The espionage drama follows the hunt for a Soviet double agent at the top of the British secret service, with Gary Oldman spearheading the excellent ensemble cast, which includes Colin Firth, Tom Hardy, John Hurt and Benedict Cumberbatch. It’s funny, seductive and suspenseful. Monday 9 April I spy: a recruit sees if she’s got what it takes to be an SOE agent Credit: BBC Secret Agent Selection: WW2 BBC Two, 9.00pm Not unlike Channel 4’s SAS: Who Dares Wins and BBC Two’s Astronauts: Do You Have What It Takes?, this absorbing new series puts a group of recruits through a series of gruelling physical and psychological challenges to see if they could make the grade as a secret agent according to an established selection test used during the Second World War. This test was used by the Special Operations Executive (SOE) to determine whether recruits from many different walks of life would be capable of being dropped behind enemy lines and surviving as a covert officer with a brief to cause the maximum disruption possible to the enemy in the territory. As with the original SOE, the 14 candidates come from diverse backgrounds (among them a research scientist, a property developer, former police officer, a drag act performer, a retired investment banker and an Army veteran). In the opening episode, they undergo the initial four-day assessment at a remote Scottish country-house estate. The aim is to winnow out weakness and determine who should win a place on the advanced, and suitably terrifying, course in assassination, sabotage and covert intelligence techniques. Gerard O’Donovan Famalam BBC Three, from 10.00am After a successful pilot last year, Vivienne Acheampong, Gbemisola Ikumelo, Roxanne Sternberg, Tom Moutchi and John MacMillan return with more culturally skewed sketches. Once again, they feature William and Funke’s raunchy chat show, misunderstood superhero Eclipse, Croydon’s voodoo practitioner Professor Lofuko, and a version of Midsomer Murders. 800 Words BBC One, 2.15pm If you like The Durrells you will definitely want to watch hit Australian comedy drama 800 Words. This gently funny series follows George (Erik Thomson), a widower, who horrifies his teenaged children when he moves the entire family to a remote seaside town in New Zealand. Springtime on the Farm Channel 5, 8.00pm This is the first of five shows this week celebrating the “great British farmer”, with the help of Yorkshire Vet stars Peter Wright and Julian Norton, Adam Henson of Countryfile and Springwatch’s Lindsey Chapman. In this programme, they explore how to cope with the stresses of lambing. MasterChef: The Finals BBC One, 9.00pm Oodles of challenges lie ahead for the remaining amateur chefs in the final week, which takes them as far afield as Peru ahead of Friday’s concluding cook-off. First, though, they’re off to North Yorkshire to cater a country-house lunch for local grandees and farmers. Lisbon: An Art Lovers’ Guide BBC Four, 9.00pm Having covered Barcelona, St Petersburg and Amsterdam in their first series of city-break guides, historian Dr Janina Ramirez and art critic Alastair Sooke jet off to explore three less obvious, art-rich destinations. Beirut and Baku are perhaps the more intriguing but it opens in Lisbon, which built up its art reserves during the centuries Portugal was part of one of the world’s great empires, and currently boasts one of the hottest contemporary art scenes in Europe. GO Marcella ITV, 9.00pm This drama’s been a little less fraught the second time round but Marcella still pushes the boundaries of credibility. In this concluding part, the heroine (Anna Friel) tracks down the killer, only to suffer one of her unfortunate episodes. GO The Core (2003) ★★★☆☆ Film4, 6.25pm Rome starts to crumble, the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco collapses and pigeons go mental in Trafalgar Square. Something is obviously amiss, and this time it isn’t climate change. In fact, the Earth’s core has stopped rotating and a team of scientists has to build a special burrowing machine to start it spinning again. Hilary Swank, Stanley Tucci and Aaron Eckhart do their best, but the excitement is intermittent. The Emoji Movie (2017) ★☆☆☆☆ Sky Cinema Premiere, 6.30pm In this animated comedy set inside a smartphone, Gene (voiced by T J Miller), an emoji with multiple facial features, sets out on a quest to be like his colleagues who have only one. He does so with the help of apps like Spotify and Candy Crush. Sadly, the result is so horrendous that there aren’t enough Patrick Stewart-voiced emojis in the world to express what an ugly, artless exercise this is. Triple 9 (2016) ★★★☆☆ Film4, 9.00pm A gang of criminals and corrupt cops plan to kill a police officer in order to pull off their biggest heist yet in John Hillcoat’s crime thriller. There is a lot to like here: a big opening and a strong cast (with Kate Winslet, Gal Gadot, Anthony Mackie and Chiwetel Ejiofor among them). But it feels like fragments of a great crime drama are missing; it’s enthralling up close, but then the big picture isn’t complete. Tuesday 10 April Back to school: Mark, who has two sons with autism Credit: Channel 4 Class of Mum and Dad Channel 4, 8.00pm Another week, another Channel 4 series about education. Hold off on the black marks, however, because this one is pretty good. The premise is simple: Blackrod Primary School just outside of Bolton has thrown open its doors to a class made up of pupils’ parents (and one grandparent). They’ve agreed to go back to school for the summer term to see what modern education is really like, sports day, Sats tests and all. Naturally, its harder than many of them were expecting – 36-year-old decorator Jonny states early on that he thought he’d be able to slope off for a swift cigarette break rather than having to adhere to strict class rules – but there are some touching stories amid the more obvious moments. Most notably, this opening episode focuses on two parents with challenging home lives – Julia, who is raising her 10-year-old cousin Asha after Asha’s mother died, and Mark, who has two autistic sons. While the parents’ travails are interesting, the children are the real scene-stealers, however, from those delighted that their mothers and fathers are taking part to those who are more sceptical. The pair of five-year-olds who spend their time corpsing in front of the camera are particularly endearing. Sarah Hughes Champions League Football: Manchester City v Liverpool BT Sport 2, 7.45pm The Etihad Stadium is the setting as City and Liverpool fight it out for a place in the semi-finals. Liverpool have the advantage following a 3-0 win at Anfield in the first leg. This Time Next Year ITV, 8.00pm Davina McCall returns with another set of heart-tugging stories of people attempting to transform their lives over the course of a year. First up are two new parents who dream of making life wonderful for their baby girl who has been deaf since birth and a couple desperate to start a family. Come Home BBC One, 9.00pm Danny Brocklehurst’s claustrophobic family drama comes to a head as we flashback to find out exactly what went wrong in Greg (Christopher Eccleston) and Marie’s (Paula Malcomson) marriage. Hospital BBC Two, 9.00pm The engrossing fly-on-the-wall medical series continues with Nottingham University Hospitals Trust struggling to cope with the new NHS ruling regarding the cancellation of all non-urgent surgery. The episode focuses on Val, a 55-year-old with mouth cancer whose surgeon is desperately trying to ensure that her operation goes ahead. Here and Now Sky Atlantic, 9.00pm With only two episodes left to go, Alan Ball’s family drama continues to tread water in the most frustrating ways. On paper, there are a whole bunch of interesting stories in the mix, from Kristen’s (Sosie Bacon) possible relationship with Navid (Marwan Salama) to Ramon’s (Daniel Zovatto) continuing visions, but the problem is nothing much happens with any of them as each story moves on only incrementally each week. In this episode, Audrey (Holly Hunter) finally turns the tables on the perpetually smug Greg (Tim Robbins). Cunk on Britain BBC Two, 10.00pm; NI, 11.15pm Diane Morgan’s pitch-perfect send-up of history programmes moves to the Tudor era and beyond as Cunk takes on Henry VIII, aka “The kingiest king who kinged over Britain” before giving us her unique perspective on “Bloody” Mary Tudor (“horrible like the drink”) and Elizabeth I. SH Divorce Sky Atlantic, 10.10pm The acerbic Sarah Jessica Parker sitcom has been firing on all cylinders throughout its second series – possibly because it’s more interesting watching Frances (Parker) and Robert (the excellent Thomas Haden Church) navigate life after divorce than it was watching them get there. Here, Frances tries to make a new contact in the art world. SH Speed (1994) ★★★★☆ Film4, 9.00pm “There’s a bomb on the bus!” is the most famous line and basically the entire plot of one of the best action thrillers of the Nineties. The sizzling chemistry between LAPD Swat specialist Jack Traven (Keanu Reeves) and passenger Annie Porter (Sandra Bullock) sexes up the exhilarating action scenes, while Dennis Hopper is fantastically unhinged as a revenge-driven, retired bomb squad member turned terrorist. Fast & Furious 7 (2015) ★★★☆☆ ITV2, 9.00pm Paul Walker was killed in a car crash part-way through making this film so it was completed with the help of his two younger brothers and some subtle computer graphics. The good news is that this is the best film in the franchise and does justice to Walker. It isn’t polished blockbuster film-making – though if it was, it wouldn’t be Fast & Furious. But it speaks straight to your adrenal glands. The Witches of Eastwick (1987) ★★★☆☆ Syfy, 9.00pm It is remarkable that director George Miller’s daft, unfettered romp of a film works at all. But, thanks to Jack Nicholson’s delicious overacting as Daryl Van Horne, a manic gentleman who closely resembles the devil, and the three gorgeous, single small-town friends, Alexandra (Cher), Jane (Susan Sarandon) and Sukie (Michelle Pfeiffer), who vie for his debased attentions, it somehow does. Wednesday 11 April Family ties: Edgar Ramirez and Penelope Cruz Credit: BBC The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story BBC Two, 9.00pm It’s been fascinating to discover the “true” story behind the 1997 murder of fhion designer Gianni Versace in Ryan Murphy’s glitzy drama, which has expertly depicted the inner world of the perpetrator, a Walter Mitty-style serial killer called Andrew Cunanan (a career-defining role for Darren Criss). This episode, however, has a mid-series lull about it as Cunanan ascends to the higher echelons of gay society, shaping himself meticulously into the posh, preppy eye-candy who saw a sugar daddy (or two) as his way to the top. Elsewhere, the Versace siblings return at last. Gianni (Edgar Ramirez), now in failing health decides to champion his insecure sister Donatella (Penélope Cruz in a frightful wig) and turns her into both designer and muse. Despite a lack of characters to root for – the Versaces’ moments of vulnerability dissolve into tedious histrionics and are eclipsed by Cunanan’s cold-blooded machinations – it’s all quite a fabulous mix of fashion, high society and brutal murder, with some interesting commentary on homophobia in the Nineties as well. Vicki Power The Secret Helpers BBC Two, 8.00pm Watch and weep as timid elderly widow Lesley begins a new life as an out gay woman in this life-affirming docu-series. She’s encouraged with warmth and wisdom by amateur “sages” from abroad, who talk to her secretly through a hidden earpiece. From World War to Cold War Yesterday, 8.00pm As the Second World War drew to a close, Churchill, Stalin and Roosevelt met at Yalta in the Crimea to broker post-war peace. This brisk two-part documentary raids the archives for clips and letters from those who attended, and gathers experts and relatives – including FDR’s grandson – to investigate power plays by Stalin that wrong-footed his Allied counterparts. It’s a detailed look at how and why the compromises reached at Yalta were quickly cast aside. Bacchus Uncovered: Ancient God of Ecstasy BBC Four, 9.00pm Historian Bettany Hughes continues to explore ancient civilisations, moving on to Bacchus, the Roman god of wine. Hughes’s odyssey starts under the City of London, where an 1,800-year-old Roman temple to Bacchus was discovered less than 100 years ago, and takes her to Greece, the Middle East and the Caucasus to explore the god’s roots and influence. VP Benidorm ITV, 9.00pm Fluffy as candyfloss, this lewd seaside comedy provides some fun, particularly in the retro casting of stars of yesteryear. This week, an exuberant Sammy (Shane Richie) tries to persuade Monty (John Challis) that, after his successful comeback gig, he is ready for an evening slot. One Born Every Minute Channel 4, 9.00pm This feelgood documentary series brings more poignant tales from a Birmingham labour ward. This week we meet Chantell, about to deliver her third child, who regales us with a moving story of how parenthood with partner Phil has healed the wounds of a traumatic past. First Dates Channel 4, 10.00pm The thoughtful dating show pairs up four more couples, but the road to love is bumpy – septuagenarian Deanna finds her date more interested in the waiter than her. More promising is the match between Bianca and Teza, who allow their vulnerabilities to show. VP The Thin Red Line (1998) ★★★★☆ Sky Cinema Greats, 3.10pm This lyrical Second World War drama, directed by Terrence Malick, tells the story of a group of young US soldiers fighting the Japanese for control of the island of Guadalcanal. Full of stars such as Sean Penn and George Clooney, it struggles with its own battle to squeeze in so many characters but is still an atmospheric meditation on the nature of war. Nick Nolte and Adrien Brody also star. The Remains of the Day (1993) ★★★★☆ Sony Movie Channel, 3.55pm The success of Merchant Ivory’s adaptation of Kazuo Ishiguro’s Thirties-set novel, a well-observed study of regret, is built around its perfectly cast leads: Anthony Hopkins as James, the butler to the doltish aristocrat Lord Darlington (James Fox) and Emma Thompson as a housekeeper who tries to draw him out of his sterile shell. Lush visuals give it an added richness. Transporter 2 (2005) ★★★☆☆ Film4, 9.00pm A martial arts action sequel, in which Jason Statham and Alessandro Gassman are the sporadically thrilling stars. Statham is Frank Martin, who accepts a job as chauffeur to Jack (Hunter Clary), the son of Miami’s politician Jefferson Billings (Matthew Modine). But the local Colombian drug dealers aren’t happy with his boss’s efforts to clean up the city. Cue a kidnapping, and a potentially deadly encounter with a cocaine baron. Thursday 12 April Changing attitudes: Holly and Hollie Credit: BBC Living with the Brainy Bunch BBC Two, 8.00pm Enterprising, PR-conscious Ash Ali is headmaster of Chessington Community College, a fast-improving school with a few problem pupils. Among them are Jack and Hollie who, on the surface, are comically awful teenagers. Hollie gripes constantly, throws strops and storms out of classrooms if things aren’t going her way. Jack is sullen, lazy and has clocked up 15 suspensions in the past year. It will come as no surprise to regular viewers of such documentaries that their behaviour is rooted in low self-esteem, although their parents unquestionably indulge their foibles. Ali’s novel solution is to place Hollie with Holly, tapdancing head girl and gregarious boffin, and Jack with Tharush, a Sri Lankan immigrant by way of Italy, whose talents are only matched by his work ethic. Now that Jack and Hollie are in the bosom of new families for six weeks, it’s hoped that a new environment, greater discipline and rigid routines will see their results improve and attitudes pick up. There are setbacks on the largely familiar narrative trajectory, but it’s cast to perfection and, as a demonstration of the importance of parenting in academic achievement, the experiment gets an A-star. Gabriel Tate European Tour Golf: The Open de Espana Sky Sports Golf, 11.00am The opening day’s play of the event from the Centro Nacional de Golf in Madrid, which was won by Andrew Johnston the last time it was held in 2016. War Above the Trenches Yesterday, 8.00pm This decent two-parter tells the story of the Royal Flying Corps and their battle to win control of the air in the First World War. Based on Peter Hart’s book Bloody April, it draws affectingly on the testimony of veterans to show there was more to the Western Front than trench warfare. Civilisations BBC Two, 9.00pm The modern age draws closer, as Simon Schama tackles the theme of radiance, guiding us through Gothic cathedrals, Baroque Venetian masterpieces and dazzling Japanese woodblock prints. The Investigator: A British Crime Story ITV, 9.00pm The second real-life case of the series sees Mark Williams-Thomas investigating the 1977 murders of three women in Glasgow. The suspect is Angus Sinclair, who is currently serving a life sentence for killing two other women that same year. We hear from his ex-wife, and learn how he was a prime suspect but escaped charges for the first killings when key evidence went missing. Indian Summer School Channel 4, 9.00pm This diverting documentary series concludes with a Himalayan trek, a controversial article in the school newspaper and the GCSE retakes that were the goal of the entire enterprise. Will Alfie, Harry, Jack and co see their grades improve? Urban Myths: Marilyn Monroe and Billy Wilder Sky Arts, 9.00pm Sky Arts’ boldly cast series of vaguely apocryphal tales from the pop-culture frontlines returns with a dispatch from the set of Some Like It Hot, the magnificent 1959 comedy that is almost certainly more fun to watch than it was to make. In this minor but entertaining reimagining, Tony Curtis (Alex Pettyfer) is threatening to cuckold Arthur Miller (Dougray Scott) by making off with Marilyn Monroe (Gemma Arterton), whose caprice, drinking and sensitivity is driving director Billy Wilder (James Purefoy) to distraction. GT Still Game BBC One, 9.30pm; BBC Two Wales, 10.00pm Justifying its prime-time BBC One slot, the Scottish sitcom bows out in triumph with a typically well-wrought farce involving a Hollywood stuntman, a disastrous driving lesson and romance for the widowed Isa (Jane McCarry). GT The Man with the Golden Gun (1974) ★★★★☆ ITV4, 9.00pm Christopher Lee steals the show as the titular assassin, Francisco Scaramanga, in this classic Bond adventure. Roger Moore’s secret agent, in his second outing as 007, must pursue him, with the help of sidekick Mary Goodnight (Britt Ekland), to the villain’s island lair in order to prevent him harnessing the power of the Sun for evil. The confrontations between Moore and Lee are easily the film’s highlights. Swordfish (2001) ★★☆☆☆ TCM, 9.00pm The most often quoted bit of trivia about this film is that Halle Berry was paid an additional £500,000 to go topless. It’s rather lucky she agreed because she’s probably the most appealing aspect of this frenetic thriller. John Travolta and Hugh Jackman put on testosterone-fuelled displays as a morally dubious counter-terrorist agent and the hacker he blackmails into accessing billions of dollars of government money. Some Like It Hot (1959, b/w) ★★★★★ Sky Arts, 9.30pm When two musicians (Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis) witness a mob hit, they flee the state disguised as women in an all-female band, but further complications arise in the form of demure ukulele player Sugar Kane, superbly played by Marilyn Monroe. Billy Wilder’s classic comedy is effortlessly wacky and clever. Before, at 9pm, is Urban Myths, which imagines what happened on the set of this romcom. Friday 13 April Dishing out opinions: John Torode and Gregg Wallace Credit: BBC MasterChef: The Final BBC One, 8.30pm It has taken 25 episodes over seven weeks to whittle down the 56 amateur contestants to three finalists, and in the process, MasterChef 2018 has produced some of the best cooking – and some of the toughest competition – in the series’ long history. (It has been running in one form or another since 1990; and since 2005 in, roughly, its current format with judges Gregg Wallace and John Torode presenting.) This last week has been no exception, with the finalists having to dig deeper than ever to produce the best dishes of their lives and some great moments – notably during the spectacular trip to South America when they met Peruvian superchef Gaston Acurio and took on a service at the fifth best restaurant in the world, the Central in Lima, under Michelin-starred maestro Virgilio Martínez Véliz. In the finale, it’s all about who cooks the best food, though, as the final three return to the studio kitchen to undergo a test of culinary skills and nerve as they set about creating the most important three-course meal of their lives – in the hope of being judged worthy of a title that has launched many a great career: MasterChef champion. Gerard O’Donovan Chef’s Table: Pastry Netflix, from today This mouth-watering spin-off from Netflix’s popular global foodie series Chef’s Table puts the focus entirely on sweet stuff, talking the cameras inside the kitchens of some of the world’s best pastry chefs, among them Christina Tosi’s Milk Bar in New York, Corrado Assenza’s Caffé Sicilia in Noto, Sicily, Jordi Roca’s El Celler de Can Roca in Girona, and Will Goldfarb’s Room4Dessert in Bali. Lost in Space Netflix, from today Not so much a rerun as a spectacular new take on the classic Sixties sci-fi series about a family marooned in space when their ship runs into difficulty on their way to a new colony and crashes on an unknown and surprisingly hostile planet. There are plenty of thrills and impressive visual effects, and Toby Stephens and Molly Parker are excellent as the pioneering Robinson parents John and Judy, while Parker Posey is an enigmatic (and now female) Dr Smith. GO The City & The City BBC Two, 9.00pm; Wales, 9.30pm Cop thrillers don’t come much more weirdly dystopian than China Miéville’s award-winning 2009 novel and this ultra-stylish adaptation serves its source material very well. In episode two, Inspector Borlú (David Morrissey) ventures back across the border while investigating the murder of a foreign student. Episodes BBC Two, 10.00pm; Wales, 11.05pm Having overcome last week’s unfortunate episode in this sitcom, Matt (Matt LeBlanc) is back on top and leveraging his spurt in the ratings for all it’s worth, handing Sean (Stephen Mangan) and Beverly (Tamsin Greig) a welcome opportunity for escape. Lee and Dean Channel 4, 10.00pm More rough charm, as life gets complicated for Stevenage’s very own Dumb and Dumber when Lee’s (Miles Chapman) financial worries mount and Dean (Mark O’Sullivan) is persuaded to premiere his poetry at the local arts club. Front Row Late BBC Two, 11.05pm; Wales, 11.35pm Freedom of speech and censorship are under the spotlight as host Mary Beard and guests discuss Theatre Clwyd’s production The Assassination of Katie Hopkins and former US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright’s new book Fascism: A Warning. GO Alien: Covenant (2017) ★★★★★ Sky Cinema Premiere, 8.00pm The latest film in the Alien saga from Ridley Scott is arguably a mad scientist movie. It follows the crew of the colony ship Covenant (including Katherine Waterson) as they discover what they think is an uncharted paradise, but what they uncover a threat beyond their imagination. Michael Fassbender puts in a spectacular turn as kindly robot David and his twisted “brother” Walter. Invictus (2009) ★★★★☆ ITV, 10.45pm Following the death of Nelson Mandela’s ex-wife Winnie last week, aged 81, here’s Clint Eastwood’s take on South Africa’s World Cup victory in 1995. As the country emerges from apartheid, the newly elected President Mandela (an uncanny Morgan Freeman) sees the potential for the national rugby team, led by François Pienaar (Matt Damon), to be a catalyst for harmony. This is a polished and uplifting film. Monty Python Live at the Hollywood Bowl (1982) ★★★★☆ Gold, 1.40am Much like the Secret Policeman’s Ball, this comedy performance film sees the Monty Python gang take to the stage, but this time they’re in Hollywood. Among the sketches are the Silly Olympics, where athletes compete in absurd sports, The Lumberjack Song, and The Ministry of Silly Walks. This film also features Carol Cleveland in numerous supporting roles. Television previewers Toby Dantzic, Sarah Hughes, Gerard O'Donovan, Vicki Power and Gabriel Tate